In order to conserve energy and alleviate power shortages at certain times of the day, it is advantageous to encourage consumers to make use of power at non-peak hours of the day, thus causing power consumption to become more uniform throughout the day. Traditionally, electrical devices have been activated whenever a user needs a function performed by the electrical device. For example, if a wash needs to be done, the user of the washing machine loads the washing machine and does the wash. The power usage aspect of doing the wash is not generally considered. Traditionally, a power network distributes its power through power lines. These power lines eventually terminate in power meters, which measure the amount of power that flows through them. Power is drawn through power meters by electrical devices that consume power when they operate.